Sprinkler-head.



C. F. PECKHAM.

SPRINKLER HEAD.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.2I.I9I1.

, d 11 El. A t i Z z /p Z Z3 /0 m' Z0" L 6 I /4 L 6 l 4 4 FW I Zzfsiness Imaan/507i UNITE CHARLES F. PECKHAM, F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SPRINKLER-I-IEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N ov. 19, 1918.

Application filed December 21, 1917. Serial No. 208,303.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. PEcxHxM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sprinkler- Heads; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains, t0 make and use the same.

The invention relates to sprinkler heads such as are used in automatic iire extinguisher systems.

The object of the invention is to provide novel and improved valve holding and releasing means which will operate in a uniformly reliable manner in releasing the valve, and the holding efficiency of which will not be impaired by long continued use. To these ends the inventioncomprises the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and referred to in the claims, the advantages of which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a sprinkler head embodying the preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a sprinkler head embodying the invention, and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

As shown, the sprinkler head comprises a yoke-shaped frame 2 provided with a nozzle 4 screw-threaded for attachment toy a distributing pipe. The delivery end of the nozzle is closed by a valve cap 6 which is held to its seat by a collapsible strut interposed between the valve and an adjustable abutment on the frame. The abutment is formed by the inner end of a screw 8, and the end of the screw and the opposed bearing surface on the valve cap are substantially conical to form pivot surfaces about which the interposed strut may swing laterally without disturbing the holding relation of its parts in case it is accidentally7 struck while the sprinkler head is in use.

The valve holding strut comprises a lever 10 provided at its outer side with a recess for receiving the end of the valve cap, a post 12 one end of which engages the short arm of the lever and the other end of which is offset laterally and is provided with a recess for engagement with the end of the screw 8,

a second lever 14 lying against the lever l0 and a brace 16 one end of which engages a slot in the offset end of the post, and the other end of which engages a shoulder 18 on the outer end of the lever 14. The ends of the brace are provided with lips indicated in dotted lines at 20 and 22 which extend on 0pposite sides of the lever 10 and post 12 respectively, and prevent relative lateral displacement of the parts in case the strut is struck during the use of the sprinkler head. The levers l() and 14 are held from move` ment lengthwise of each other by a lug 24 on the lever 10 which engages the recess in the lever 14. The superposed levers, post and' brace forni a strut interposed between the valve and frame which will collapse under the pressure applied to the valve unless the inner end of the lever 14 is held from movement away from the lever 10. The lever 14 is thus held by a thrust rod 26, the inner end of which is provided with an enlargement 28 fitting into a recess in the end of the lever, and held from lateral movement away from the lever by engagement with the inner face of the post 12. The rod passes freely through a slotin the offset end of the post 12, and through a hole in the screw 8. It is provided at or near its outer end with a bearing nut 30, the conical outer end of which bears against the end of a cylinder 32. The cylinder 32 is preferably hollow, as indicated in the drawings, and is retained within a casing 34 secured to the outer end of the screw 8 by the surrounding distributer 36. By adjustment of the bearing` nut the effective length of the thrust rod may be so adjusted that the parts of the strut will be iirmly locked in holding position. The cylinder 32 is formed of metal which will fuse at a comparatively low temperature, and commonly termed in this art a fusible metal.

With this construction the parts of the strut are effectively held by the fusible cylinder, and the holding relation of the parts will not be affect-ed by any accidental blows to which the strut may be subjected.

While it is preferred to employ the specific 'construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, it will be understood that this construction and arrangement may be varied or modified without vdeparting from the broader scope of the invention.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of mechanism in which it may be embodied, what is claimed is l. An automatic sprinkler head, having, in combination, a valve, a frame, a collapsible strut interposed between the valve and frame, a thrust rod for resisting the collapse of the strut, and a thermal fuse for preventing endwise movement of the rod.

2. An automatic sprinkler head, having, in combination, a valve, a frame, a collapsible strut interposed between the valve and frame, a thrust rod for resisting the collapse of the strut having provision for adjustment of its effective length, and a thermal fuse sustaining the thrust on the rod.

3. An automatic sprinkler head, having, in combination, a valve, a frame, a collapsible strut interposed between the valve and frame, a fusible cylinder, and a thrust rod having provision for adjustment of its effective length interposed between the strut and cylinder to resist collapse of the strut.

t. An automatic sprinkler head, having, in combination, a valve, a frame provided with anl opposed abutment, a strut between the valve and abutment comprising a lever engaging the valve, a post between the lever and abutment, a second lever lying against the first and connected therewith by an interlocking lug and recess, a brace between the second lever and post, a thrust rod engaging the inner end of the second lever, and a ther mal fuse sustaining the thrust on the rod.

5. A n automatic sprinkler head, having, in combination, a valve and frame having opposed pivot bearing surfaces, a strut having coperating bearing surfaces and comprising a post, a brace and two levers arranged Copies of this patent may be .obtained for v'e cents each,

one upon the other and held from relative lengthwise movement by an interlocking lug and recess, a rod sustaining` the inner end of the inner lever, and fusible metal sustaining the rod.

6. An automatic sprinkler head, having, in combination, a valve and a frame having opposed pivot bearing surfaces, a strut having coperating bearing surfaces and comprising a post, two levers arranged one upon the other and held from relative lengthwise movement by an. interlocking lug and recess and a brace having lips embracing the post and one of the levers, a rod sustaining the inner end of the inner lever, and fusible metal sustaining the rod.

7 A valve sustaining means for a sprinkler head comprising a post, two levers arranged one upon the other and held from relative lengthwise movement by an engagingv lug and recess, a brace having lips at its ends embracing the post and inner lever, and heat controlled means for preventing relative rocking movement of the levers. f

8. An automatic sprinkler head, having, in combination, a valve, a frame provided with an opposed abutment, a strut between thevalve and abutment comprising a lever engaging the valve, a post between the lever and abutment, `a second lever lying against the first and connected therewith by an interlocking lug and recess, a brace between the second lever and post, a thrust rod engaging the inner end of the second lever and passing through a slot in the post and through the frame, and a fusible cylinder supporting the outer end of the rod.

' CHARLES F. PECKHAM.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, C. 

